Purpose of and Vision for Sections

SIAM Sections are regional subgroups of SIAM members. As such, Sections should support the mission of SIAM. Unlike activity groups, they are not usually limited to sub-specialties within the SIAM mission. A Sectional region might be non-contiguous, for example, in order to include members in a geographically remote area.

Sections provide a convenient and inexpensive means for SIAM members to gather and take part in organized activities on a regional basis. As such, they can help give applied mathematics an identity in the region. The increased involvement in SIAM that they make possible can help attract and retain SIAM members.

Members who cannot readily participate in main SIAM Conferences – in particular, students – can benefit from Section meetings and the international exposure they can give.

Section activities have traditionally been centred on regular, face to face meetings, lectures, conferences, and social events. As Sections are formed in developing countries, where travel may be more difficult or expensive, and as methods of communication via the web evolve, we can expect to see the use of virtual Section activities, in particular based on future networking capabilities of the SIAM web site. A well developed plan for online activities may be of great use for remote regions that wish to participate in a Section; it will also facilitate cross-sectional activities.